Cro-Mags Stabbing: New Details Emerge as Band Releases Statement About Incident

On July 6, Cro-Mags founder and former bassist Harley Flanagan was arrested after allegedly assaulting current Cro-Mags bassist Michael Couls and additional victim William Berario at New York’s CBGB Festival. Flanagan apparently went after the band with a knife, also biting Berario’s cheek. Three days after the incident, Cro-Mags have released an official statement regarding the attack.

There has been heavy tension between Harley Flanagan and Cro-Mags vocalist John Joseph McGowan for three decades, finally culminating in the non-fatal slashing which sent two to the hospital. It was reported that Flanagan yelled out something unknown before the attack, which is now being reported by the New York Post as, “They think they’re going to play my f—ing music that I helped write?”

“He’s been telling people that he was going to do this s–t,” McGowan told the New York Post. “Nobody in the band likes him.” The Cro-Mags vocalist also referred to Flanagan as a “thief” and a “skinhead,” who had been posting threats on his Facebook about attacking the band, causing McGowan to demand that security “get someone on the door who knows what he looks like.” Unfortunately, McGowan states, “They didn’t take that threat seriously.”

The singer also discussed the incident with the New York Times, saying “This dude has been a negative thorn in the side of this band forever. I hope he gets what’s coming to him.”

Cro-Mags released an official statement regarding the incident that reads as follows:

WE… as a band are truly sorry for the way it all turned out in every regard even the ex-member who’s family is now effected by his choices. Our prayers go out to them as well as Mike C., and the others who were hurt, but it was ‘his’ choice to come to our concert with a hunting knife, standing by our dressing door. Who knows what his actual intent was, obviously he wasn’t there with it to cut bread for a peace offering as he was heard saying outside he was putting an end to us playing without him. Let’s move on now & stop the trash-talking. Keep that PMA – that’s what we are all about.

Photos from the aftermath of the attack can be viewed at BoweryBoogie.com. Stay tuned for further updates on the Cro-Mags knife attack.